Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said he expects the FIA to analyse the circumstances of yesterday’s European Grand Prix.

Ferrari expressed outrage yesterday that Lewis Hamilton was able to finish second in the race after taking a drive-through penalty for overtaking the safety car, while their drivers finished lower down the field after staying behind the safety car.

Di Montezemolo said:

The result of yesterday?óÔé¼Ôäós race was misrepresentative. Ferrari, which showed itself to be competitive in the European Grand Prix, paid a price that was too high for respecting the rules.

Meanwhile those who didn?óÔé¼Ôäót follow the rules were penalised by the race officials in a way that was less severe than the damage suffered by those who did respect them. That is a very serious and unacceptable event that creates dangerous precedents, throwing a shadow over the credibility of Formula One.

We are sure that the FIA will fully analyse what happened, taking the consequent necessary decisions. Ferrari will watch this with interest.Luca di Montezemolo

58 comments on Montezemolo expects FIA reaction

The safety car rules, yet again, need tweaking. Whether this is by changing the timing of the SC’s entry to the track or by closing the pitlane (as done in 2008, no longer a fuel issue involved), something does need to be done.

However, if Luca’s looking for some further retribution, he’ll be severely disappointed.

Like I said yesterday they need to get rid of the SC altogether. Its always been unfair in every race its used as it penalises those who have driven well as they lose the lead they fairly built up. The perfect example would be China this year when Button, Rosberg and Kubica put nearly a minute on the field with a brilliant strategic call only to have it wiped out by a SC. Then you have days like yesterday when the SC brings the sport into disrepute.

The only justification for a SC was that it would neutralise the race to allow debry to be safely removed from the track but it’s been 16 years since they brought in SCs and technology has moved on there should be better ways for the race to be neutralised. It would be perfectly feasable for each car to be equipped with a SC speed limiter like the pit lane one which would have to be activated by the driver within 5 seconds of the SC boards being put out.

The drivers could then travel round at a safe speed untill the track is clear when the race could resume without the neutralisation of the race hurting anyone.

Exactly the point. The safety car is there to control the speed and route of the cars following. Imagine if this was done electronically as suggested and other teams were able to tap into each others ssystem!! Alonso since his first win, has lost the plot and in front of his home fans (who love Lewis)he looked like putting on a show, hence his frustration with his arch enemy putting one over him!

I would have to agree. No reason to have the pit open during SC periods anylonger. Main reason it was allowed was to avoid drivers running out of fuel or be forced into penalty for pitting while it was closed. In indycar on ovals it’s a mad horrible scramble to get in and out and honestly not very safe and field always shuffles around but rules are simple and few complaints. Well some wants the lapped cars to be able to pass the SC to have them filed up in grid order on green (which F1 does but don’t see much better racing for it).

In my view, Ferrari would be better adopting a more conciliatory tone with the FIA, there could be grounds for bringing the sport into disrepute, as there comments aimed at the FIA are too vociferous, and seem unsportsmanlike.

He was deemed to do so, wasn’t he? And from the results of your Poll here Keith, (Fans 45/45 thinking Hamilton did/did not do this on purpose) suggests it would be good if the FIA did some open clarification of what happened there including evidence from radio communications, video and telemetry.

I am not sure about it being intentional to make sure Alonso does not make it. It might be (we have another guy driving around where i would be pretty sure of that, he stopped for the red light), but i rather think Lewis just hesitated.

But “not remembering” sounds like a lazy excuse for not answering questions and Ferrari were really unlucky/tricked by Lewis here in front of Alonso’s fans.

But even so Ferrari could have reacted with tactics, keeping Massa out there as well to split strategy. Or whatever strategy to have a go at something, Sauber showed focussing and thinking out of the box might be better than just complaining.

I found it pretty silly for Ferrari to expect 9 drivers to receive serious punishments for the time infringement and concentrating only on this Hamilton thing.

I think Ferrari are weakening their case for SC rule changes by focusing on Hamilton who could have easily made it past without ‘hesistation’ and the front running 5 seconds penalized ones, who seem to have had little more than a corner to meet a sector time.

The problem due to the SC timing was that Vettel gained anyway, and that the timing dropped Ferrari far behind.

I agree with people who argue for a new look at closing the pitlane for the start of the safety car (would also have stopped Schumacher from being trapped).

But that was not Hamiltons fault – Vettel profited even more, Hamilton only suffered because he was clumsy/outsmarted himself.

I’m not convinced that it would ever be possible to change the safety car rules such that pot luck does not play a role. It is inevitable that a safety car is going to benefit some and not others. If Hamilton had not hesitated as the safety car came out he would have been even further up the road from Alonso, fighting Vettel for the win.

It’s unfortunate that the release of the safety car was mistimed, but even the teams make that kind of mistake in qualifying for example, bringing their driver out at slightly the wrong time so that he gets caught in traffic.

I agree with Kyle, I don’t think the FIA are going to take any notice of Montezemalo; he’s just mouthing off as usual.

Didn’t Ferrari have some kind of veto over new rules made up by the FIA a few years ago? Now that was a ‘serious and dangerous precedent, throwing a shadow over the credibility of Formula One’. Are they mad? Also, they did score some points, four to be exact. So suck it up and don’t be such crybabies Luca and ALO.

I didn’t really like of dislike Ferrari and Alonso, but I’m getting there.

don’t you go and start talking sense now Maciek. Every thing that happens in this sport is followed by comments of but in 1985 he did this and in 1991 this happened. We really should only comment on the events of the race in question. Can you imagine what would happen if the stewards had the same hang ups as the fans.

Is 2008 near enough? Ferrari called Singapore’s race a circus. In hind sight it sort of was one, but as Ecclestone said, Ferrari were the “clowns”. All their whining just made them look more ridculous.

Hamilton didn’t whine, just stuck wtih it and simply got back on the podium.

Agree that the kettle is getting a little shirty on said pots actions but really Maciek is right as is rampante, Austria has sod all to do with what happened today.

Besides Ferrari is a changed team these days, in the case of Domenacali rather fairer. Montezemolo on the other hand seems to have lost the plot. Not so much here, Ferrari got done over, rule needs to be looked at, but the self righteous indignation is quite ridiculous.

So typical. This is the same reaction as we saw with the double diffusers last year. Even when they were declared legal team bosses were constantly complaining how they were against the spirit of the rules etc. Everything is fine as long as it is in your team’s advantage, otherwise its unfair, against the rules, against the spirit of the rules or you name it.

So with this can the F1 community now come together and officially change “Ferrari” to “Cryrrari”. I mean even for die-hard Ferrari fans, this has got to be a little deflating to have your team cry about spilled milk.

Hey Cryrrari! The event played out as it did. It did not work out in your favor, All parties involved where punished. And even if hamilton did lose positions would that help your race? Would you think you could have passed Hamilton on track? Teflonso was close to 4 seconds behind Hamilton at the time of the incident and losing ground.

Fix your car, make it faster. And focus on the things you can affect. Your own team.

The only way this is going to become a scandal is if Ferrari keep banging on about it.
If they really are concerned about the credibility of the sport then they’ll stop undermining it and just accept their bad luck like grown-ups.

I do hope that the FIA seriously reviews the Safety Car rules. They are certainly confusing and have an unnecessarily large element of chance built in. The need for refueling is gone, so closing the pits and picking up the field in order would work quite fairly.

Ferrari actually have a point, but theyÂ´ve spent so much time crying wolf all season long about anything they donÂ´t like that I couldnÂ´t care less. And after his “deserved win” in Singapore, Alonso canÂ´t say anything either.

Somehow I think that if the safety car had come out behind Massa, Ferrari wouldn’t be telling us about how unfair the race result was for those stuck behind it. Besides all of which, it’s up to drivers to do the best they can with the cards they’re dealt – it’s called tough luck. Perhaps they could ask Kamui Kobayashi for driving tips.

“We are sure that the FIA will fully analyse what happened, taking the consequent necessary decisions. Ferrari will watch this with interest.”

I dont know about everyone else but that statement really bothered me. Seems to me, the necessary decisions, in LDM’s view, are to put Alonso on the podium.

Ferrari will watch with interest…. what the heck does that mean. Sounds like a veiled threat to me. If they dont get what they want are they gonna threaten to pull out of F1?! Cry more?!? Sue somebody??

they’d have no reason to punish ferrari in the first place. Todt/no Todt. If the complaints got ridiculously bad and unnecessary, a reprimand yes. If they continue like they are doing until silverstone, then just gaffer tape is needed :D